Trump, RNC raised $65.6 million in March

Former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee raised $65.6 million in March and ended the month with $93.1 million in cash on hand, according to figures provided to POLITICO.

Trump’s allies hope the amount will ease concerns about his fundraising and the cash deficit he is facing against President Joe Biden. The figure — which covers a number of fundraising vehicles that will all have to disclose their activities to the Federal Election Commission later this month — outpaces the $62 million that Trump raised in March 2020, when he was running for reelection.

Biden’s political operation has yet to announce its March fundraising haul, though it has said it raised $25 million during a New York City fundraiser last week that was attended by Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. In February, Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised $53 million, Biden’s campaign said, and ended the month with $155 million on hand.

The former president is all but certain to be at a cash disadvantage against Biden, Trump advisers concede. Still, Trump is moving aggressively to close the gap. He has been courting major donors at his Mar-a-Lago club and on Saturday is set to host a major fundraiser in Palm Beach, Fla. that aides say will net more than $40 million. The event is being hosted by investor John Paulson and co-chaired by aerospace executive Robert Bigelow, casino billionaire Steve Wynn and hedge fund manager Robert Mercer.

The Trump campaign last month moved to take control of the RNC’s operations, and installed Michael Whatley as chair and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chair. Chris LaCivita, Trump’s co-campaign manager, is simultaneously serving as the RNC chief of staff.

“Our campaign, working together with the RNC, has been steadily ramping up our fundraising efforts, and our March numbers are a testament to the overwhelming support for President Trump by voters all across the spectrum,” Trump campaign co-manager Susie Wiles said in a statement.

The Trump campaign and RNC have set up a joint fundraising account, called the Trump 47 Committee, that can draw checks totaling up to $814,600.

Trump’s efforts to fund his campaign have been significantly hampered by his legal bills, with Trump diverting tens of millions of dollars to pay for his legal expenses.

The former president’s leadership PAC, Save America, in February spent more than $5.6 million on legal fees. Since January 2023, a pro-Trump super PAC, MAGA Inc., sent $50 million to Save America, much of which was spent on legal bills.